Note: Sorry but I'm going to moan a bit. I love all of my regular readers here on ff. I've been here for over ten years now and I always love reading the reviews. As a result I think I am slightly spoiled. Whenever I post a new chapter I check my story stats obsessively and get excited every time the number of hits goes up. So what's the problem? I am also registered on fictionpress for my original fiction and unfortunately I hardly ever get any hits and practically no reviews. This makes me worry that my original fiction is not up to scratch. Could my regular readers (and any newbie's) please have a look at my fictionpress account if you have the time? There are quite short stories and series of short stories which take hardly any time to read. You can find it by following the link on my author page here, by searching 'Persephone Tinkerbell' as an author on the fiction press site or searching for any of the following: 'The Hunger', 'But Life Isn't A Fairy Tale', 'That Moment', 'Thelxiepeia', 'I Will Always Love You', 'Chimera Medusa', 'Gorgon', 'The House Of Jet', 'Come out come out wherever you are', 'Of Glasgow and Gormenghast', or 'Soteira Haliai' OK, rant over and on with the story.

Athrana (Wandering Shadow)

Chapter 57- Choosing Death

TA 3019 March 8th Early Hours

Athriel watched as Gandalf and Pippin galloped off into the distance followed swiftly by Nariel on Grimbeorn's back. The war was getting closer and closer now. They were moving now, Elladan and Elrohir. They had been spurred out of their shock it seemed, she only hoped that they would be able to move past what she had told them. They still looked distracted, had she chosen the wrong time to tell them everything? How could she have kept it any longer when they had asked her directly? Had she doomed them all? They would all need their wits about them. They all had more important things to think about now.

She wandered over to where Estel stood. He would have to decide now, which way they would go. And while the twins were distracted she would speak for the three of them. Not that that was difficult, as they had vowed to go wherever he led. He was watching Gandalf's silhouette disappear into the distance with his hands clenched at his sides.

Aragorn noticed Athriel's approach, which probably meant that she had wanted him to, but he didn't take his eyes from the wizard as he disappeared. Here he was again left to make the decisions after the Istari's departure. It brought back memories of that horrific moment when the Grey Pilgrim had fallen in Moria. Now at least he knew that he would see him again, but the danger was closer now. Back then he had gone to Lothlorien to rest and be rejuvenated, but now he could not afford to do that. He was riding straight out to war, whatever his decision.

Athriel took a deep breath. She knew which way they would need to go, as did Estel, but it wasn't a choice he wanted to make. "You already know which way you should go Estel. Do not let doubt steer you wrong now". Aragorn sighed. Yes he knew which way they had to go.

TA3019, March 6th

Aragorn couldn't help but grin widely at his brothers. They were here, they were really here. Everything looked brighter knowing that they would ride beside him. And they had brought greater hope with them. The riders that had come with them he knew well. They were his mortal kin, the Dunedain. With them here as well, he really thought he could do this, he could become the King he needed to be if they believed in him. This resolve had been strengthened immensely with the standard his men carried. A banner from Arwen, Arwen who he had tried to send away, who he had tried to save, had given up everything because she believed in him. Then there was The Shadow. Athriel had ridden with them. She had given up on being Athrana and after finally making herself known and coming home, she had elected to ride out to war rather than to stay in the Elven Valley and heal after all that she had gone through. If all of these people believed in him, how could he not become who he was destined to be?

The happy mood however did not last. After catching up on everything he had missed in the valley over the last few months the conversation became serious. They had advice to impart from their father, Lord Elrond, his foster father, and the advice scared him.

"The days are short. If thou art in haste, remember the paths of the dead."

If there was one path he didn't want to take, it was that road.

"Always my days have seen to me too short to achieve my desire. But great indeed will be my haste ere I take that road."

That seemed a hopeless path, even with all of their belief. Had things really become so dark that Death was the only way forward? Luckily the brethren sensed his dark mood and changed the subject.

"That will soon be seen. But let us speak no more of these things."

"Yes, tell us. How do things go with Prince Legolas and the Lady Nariel?"

Aragorn glanced at the twins now, they were packing their things, but they looked a little distracted. He guessed that was why Athriel had come to give him advice. She would speak for them all in their absence, and she did.

"The days are indeed short. And there is much haste Estel. Remember the paths of the dead."

It was strangely fitting that this time she had been the one to offer him that advice. After all she had survived through so much. Athriel whose death had been the herald of his arrival in Rivendell, had come through it all and now stood beside him. Maybe there was hope in Death and in the dead. Maybe they would be the ones to save them in this war.

The decision made Aragorn went to relay his plans to Théoden. He would take only his brothers, Athriel, Legolas, Gimli and the Dunedain. Merry would have to go with the King to Rohan, and then the Rohirim to war. Hopefully they would all meet again in the White City. They would take the paths of the dead, and just like Athriel had, they would survive to come home again.